- Death, Peter, Hades, Persephone, Zeus -
Death was near the front of the group, looking around at the sprawling city of the Underworld. The blue lights that illuminated the buildings gave everything a peaceful feeling that was interrupted by Peter coming up behind him and tapping him on the back.
"Yes?" Death asked.
"Do ya think Luce is gonna be okay?" Peter said.
Death made a nervous smile. "He'll be fine. He's dealt with this kind of thing before, unfortunately."
Peter narrowed his eyes with doubt. "Do ya know what two things Luce hates the most?"
Death scratched the back of his head. "Betrayal and-"
Peter interrupted, "Being treated as a spectacle."
Death's eyes instantly went wide. "I'll call Zeus to make sure everything's all right."
Peter walked back to the others. Hades looked behind him after hearing his brother's name mentioned. He was getting ready to interject until Persephone put her hand on him and shook her head. The two had sworn up-and-down that they had nothing to do with Zeus's appearance and that they weren't told ahead of time.
Death had made it clear to them that he trusted them, along with the fact that he wasn't that surprised by Zeus's actions.
"Hello?!" Zeus answered the call angrily.
"It's me," Death's tone was cold.
Zeus froze for a moment. He moved away from his section of the coliseum before speaking again. He drew looks from the other gods as he walked.
'What is this about?" Zeus whispered.
The sound of the cheering crowd came through the echo.
"How many beings are in that coliseum right now?" Death asked with a menacing tone.
Zeus looked around nervously. He wanted to lie but knew he would be found out the moment Lucifer returned to the group. He swallowed and told the truth.
"The coliseum...is full."
Death covered his face with his left hand. The entire group felt a chill go down their spines. Hades and Persephone both gave a sideways glance back. Various beings stuck their heads out of the windows of the surrounding building. Unbeknownst to Death, the feeling he was giving off was one that the denizens of the Underworld were very familiar with, which led to many curious onlookers.
Death spoke slowly, "You filled the entire coliseum for the match between Poseidon and Lucifer?"
Zeus choked down his fear and tried to maintain a composed tone. "It's been very long since our last match of this scale. I thought it would be good for my people's morale, while also showing how Lucifer has grown."
Death could tell Zeus was trying to spin what was actually happening. He had a lot he wanted to say but his close proximity to Hades and Persephone made him go with something more formal.
"I hope once that match is over you show nothing but respect to Lucifer, otherwise I'll venture up to Olympus, then you and I can have a match."
Zeus had to wait for the cheering of the crowd to die down before he could speak. He was now hoping that Lucifer hadn't heard him when he shouted before. The crowd's cheering stopped long enough for Zeus to speak again.
"I'll make sure to treat him like a proper god," Zeus's tone was shaky.
Death's tone stayed cold, "I'll be asking Lucifer afterward to confirm that."
"Of course," Zeus answered.
Death ended the call. He looked back at Peter and sighed.
- Lucifer, Poseidon, Eros, Zeus -
Lucifer flew low as the Hydra shot a pressurized blast of water at him. He was also dodging Poseidon's attempts to cut him off with geysers. The constant pursuit of the hydra, mixed with Poseidon's previous soddening of the arena had created a horrible disadvantage that Lucifer was reveling in.
'More!' Lucifer manically shouted in his head. 'Make the odds as uneven as you want; build me up as a villain as much as you want; IT DOESN'T MATTER!'
Lucifer's loud thoughts were reflected in his attempts to counterattack. He landed in the puddled ground of the coliseum, increased the intensity of the flames on his body, and put both hands down on the stone. Two massive, intersecting jets of flame crisscrossed, severing the head of the hydra.
"WHERE THERE'S ONE THERE'S MANY!" Eros announced to the cheering crowd.
While the hydra's head was reforming, Lucifer stood up and put his hands in a sphere shape. The space in-between his hands shone with a bright orange light. He shot the concentrated beam of flames straight for the trident in the hydra's chest.
Poseidon matched Lucifer's beam of fire with a concentrated blast of water. The collision of the attacks created steam in the center of the arena.
'Use the blue flames, Fallen!' Poseidon shouted in his head. 'USE IT!'
Poseidon used both hands and filled his side of the arena with floating spheres of water. He was prepared for whatever Lucifer was going to send at him.
Lucifer stood and just looked at Poseidon. His eyes scanned left-to-right, taking in the full scale of what he was dealing with. He hadn't given up but was now taking a more casual approach with his thinking.
'Grand finale?' He thought. 'No, too long to make. I haven't tried "that" in a very long time. Kind of ironic that I'd be using it against Poseidon.'
Lucifer brought his hands together in a prayer stance. His wings caught fire, leading most of the crowd to gasp. The spectators thought he was self-immolating out of protest, not realizing what he was actually doing. The fire on his wings extended, creating two whips of flame, along with four more whips of fire extending out of his back.
'At this point, using the blue fire would be easier, not that they know that,' Lucifer thought to himself.
Lucifer flew straight for Poseidon. He was met with a storm of pressurized water bullets. The whips of flames covered him as he closed the distance to Poseidon.
Poseidon watched Lucifer's burning figure approach him. He used his left hand to attack while leaving his right hand free for a response. He was confident that even if Lucifer managed to get past the storm of bullets, the battle was his.
Lucifer was only about ten feet from Poseidon when he was swallowed up by the reformed Hydra. This turn led to massive cheers from the audience, and a wide grin from Poseidon.
"IS THE FLAMING FALLEN DOWN FOR THE COUNT?!" Eros announced. "HAVE THE FLAMES BEEN QUENCHED...OR?"
'" Or?"' The spectators and Poseidon repeated.
Lucifer whips of flames shot out from the sides of the hydra and wrapped around the creature's body. Before Poseidon could react, the whips exploded, creating a mini shower. Poseidon's trident fell to the ground. Lucifer hovered beneath Poseidon with a gleeful smile.
Poseidon's face went from twisted anger to calm. Everyone watching the match, except for one, had assumed this was merely Poseidon's stoicism in the face of a challenge. The crowd's cheering ceased and the air in the coliseum returned to a tense feeling once again. The man who had been cheering for Lucifer was now shaking his leg and biting the nail of his thumb.
"I think he's lost it," The man said into his echo.
Lucifer didn't know Poseidon that well. He knew plenty of superficial things about the god but nothing overly personal. What he saw in Poseidon's eyes was something he had seen in the eyes of various humans in Hell he had spoken to. Humans he had refused to give contracts to.
'Let's open this wound a little more, shall we?' Lucifer thought. "What's the matter?" Lucifer asked Poseidon in a mocking tone. "Annoyed at the challenge? Or are you throwing a tantrum because I won't use my blue fire?"
"All you're capable of is hollow words," Poseidon responded in an emotionless tone.
Poseidon extended his arms out in a t-shape and clenched his fists. He made the spheres of water explode into hundreds of miniature orbs. He covered his body in water and charged straight for Lucifer.
Lucifer met Poseidon and the two locked hands. Steam rose from their hands as they tightened their grips. The miniature orbs spun around the two creating a vortex.
Lucifer went to breathe fire but was met with a headbutt from Poseidon. The fire he had attempted to launch burned his tongue. The pain from the backlash caused the flames around his body to turn off.
Poseidon tightened his grip around Lucifer's hands. "Maybe now you'll be quiet."
Poseidon's head had been slightly burnt from Lucifer's flame breath. He had come out on top of the trade, fully ready to finish this fight. What he hadn't expected, and what he was glad was hidden from the crowd, was Lucifer's strength.
Lucifer's fingers dug deep into Poseidon's hands. His eyes were glowing brightly as he reeled his head back. He smashed his head down onto Poseidon's nose.
Poseidon lost consciousness. It was only for a second but it was long enough to stop the vortex's spinning. He could feel his body being thrown to the ground by Lucifer before regaining consciousness. He caught himself as he landed. He looked up at Lucifer with a contained fury in his eyes. He slowly moved his hands to his side.
A ripple went out through the water of the coliseum. The shallow water seemed to be moving in a way that looked like it was being rained on. Eros flew to the god's section of the coliseum.
"Call off the fight!" Eros shouted. "This isn't worth it!"
"Watch your tone, boy!" Zeus shouted at Eros. "If we end it now that means the fallen won."
Eros removed his hood, revealing his curly blonde hair and porcelain-like skin. "And that's better than Lord Poseidon killing Lucifer and bringing the Rider's wrath upon us?!"
Zeus looked over at Poseidon. "He wouldn't..."